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Young and Plum each score 26 points as Aces dominate Liberty 99-82 in WNBA Finals opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum each scored 26 points and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces pulled away from the New York Liberty in the second half to win 99-82 on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.Las Vegas point guard Chelsea Gray added 20 points and nine assists on her 31st birthday, A’ja Wilson had 19 points and eight rebounds. Young made 5 of 8 3-pointers.Five New York players scored in double figures. This season’s league MVP, Breanna Stewart, led the Liberty with 21 points, Jonquel Jones totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds and Marine Johannes came off the bench to score 14. Sabrina Ionescu, who entered averaging 16.3 points in the playoffs, was held to seven.Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Wednesday in Las Vegas.In one of the most anticipated Finals in recent memory with three WNBA MVPs, this game instead played out like the regular-season meetings between the teams in which the closest outcome was nine points.The Aces made sure of that by ...

2 hurt in possible road rage shooting in Aurora

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in what police said was a possible road rage shooting in Aurora early Sunday.The Aurora Police Department said it happened near Mississippi Avenue and Chambers Boulevard. ‘She’s dragging a body’ witness describes deadly Denver hit-and-run Two victims, a man and a woman, were shot and police said it appeared to be a road rage shooting. The victims were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover.The incident is still being investigated, and APD is asking the public for help in finding the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call the Denver Metro Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Banned Books Tour 2023 stops in Coral Gables to shine spotlight on titles pulled from school shelves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

A group touring the country made a stop in South Florida to celebrate literary freedom for students, teachers, authors and parents.As National Banned Books Week came to a close, state and local education leaders continue to fight what they call censorship in classrooms.“This is needed specifically in Florida because we have a problem,” said Fedrick Ingram, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers.Participants at Sunday’s event at Books & Books in Coral Gables took the opportunity to shine a spotlight on books pulled from school shelves.“This is not what freedom looks like,” said Karla Hernández-Mats, president of the United Teachers of Dade.The New Republic’s Banned Books Tour 2023 is taking that message around the country on their “Banned Bookmobile.”Organizers gave out 10 free books that are banned or subject to be banned to Miami-Dade County teachers.The tour aims to celebrate educators’ freedom to teach ...

Here’s how the Israel-Hamas conflict affects Ukraine, China, Iran — and everyone else

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

President Joe Biden and his aides have long tried to bring some calm to the Middle East, in large part so that the United States could focus more intensely on the greater long-term challenge: China. That strategy is now in danger due to this weekend’s stunning attack on Israel by the Palestinian militants of Hamas.As Israel retaliates, the possibility of a wider regional war looms, demanding more of Biden’s attention. Hundreds of people have died. Biden and his team will inevitably have less bandwidth to focus on Beijing. And that’s as the Biden administration’s attention already is stretched due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.It’s a frustrating dynamic for a White House that had notched what it believed were major, often unsung successes in the Middle East. (And hardly a novel one: Many presidents trying to focus their efforts elsewhere have been vexed by the Middle East.) That included freezing the war in Yemen and making headway on pre-existing efforts to help Israel build ...

Israel declares war and bombards Gaza as fighting rages for second day after Hamas attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack, as the military tried to crush fighters still in southern towns and intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The toll passed 1,100 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.More than 24 hours after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza.The declaration of war portended greater fighting ahead, and a major question was whether Israel would launch a ground assault into Gaza, a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties.Meanwhile, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group claimed to have taken captive more...

At least 3 Americans killed in attacks in Israel near Gaza border, according to memo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

Washington (CNN) — At least three Americans have been killed in the attacks in Israel close to the Gaza border, according to an internal US government memo reviewed by CNN.Earlier Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was “working overtime” to verify reports of missing and dead Americans after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel.“We have reports that several Americans were killed. We’re working overtime to verify that. At the same time, there are reports of missing Americans and there again, we’re working to verify those reports,” Blinken told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”The internal memo says the State Department is aware of three US citizens killed in the Gaza periphery. It is also aware of additional Americans who have not been accounted for.CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer told Bash Sunday that Americans are among the “scores” of hostages being hel...

Payton Pritchard, Celtics come to agreement on four-year extension, per reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

Not too long ago, Payton Pritchard wanted to be traded by the Celtics. Now the guard is part of the team’s long-term future.Pritchard, who was entering the final year of his contract, agreed to a four-year, $30 million contract extension to remain in Boston, according to a report from ESPN on Sunday. The deal is reportedly fully guaranteed.Pritchard and the Celtics had a deadline of Oct. 23 to come to terms on an extension.The agreement also comes with the expectation Pritchard will have a significantly greater role with the Celtics, something that has never been guaranteed since he was drafted in the first round in 2020. It nearly came to a head last season, when the addition of Malcolm Brogdon cut his minutes in a crowded backcourt that also included Marcus Smart and Derrick White.Pritchard stayed professional through a trying individual year, and seemed to always come through when his number was called. But he publicly expressed frustration about his situation, and wanted to get ...

Ravens collapse against Steelers as mistakes pile up in ugly 17-10 loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

The last six times the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers met before Sunday, the outcome was decided by five points or fewer.Why would this be any different, even when it had every chance to be?With the Ravens trailing 14-10 and just over a minute to play, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith stripped quarterback Lamar Jackson from behind as he dropped back to pass and TJ Watt recovered and returned it to Baltimore’s 19-yard line. Chris Boswell added a 42-yard field goal to seal an improbable 17-10 comeback victory in front of an announced 67,272 at Acrisure Stadium.The Steelers (3-2) have now won six of their past seven against the Ravens (3-2).But this was one that Baltimore let get away.With the Ravens clinging to a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter, they caught a huge break when the Steelers’ Gunner Olszewski fumbled a punt return and cornerback Kevon Seymour recovered it and returned the ball to Pittsburgh’s 7 with 5:48 to go. But facing a third-and-goal ...

J.C. Jackson has an idea of how he can be ‘big help’ to Patriots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson wasn’t used to the result of Sunday’s 34-0 loss to the Saints (“I’ve never lost like that here.”), but he’s happy to be back in New England.The Patriots reacquired Jackson in a trade with the Chargers this week. Nineteen months after giving Jackson a five-year, $82.5 million contract in free agency, the Chargers were willing to eat most of his 2023 salary while trading him to the Patriots for a late-round pick swap.NFL Media reported that Jackson refused to enter the Chargers’ Week 4 game against the Raiders. Jackson wasn’t interested in dwelling on the past when asked about the report.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots rookie Chad Ryland explains Sunday’s latest missed field goal New England Patriots | Bailey Zappe again didn’t appear like answer to Patriots’ biggest question New England Patriots | Mac Jones benched aga...

5 things to know as Israel declares war on Hamas following the militant group’s unprecedented attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel declared war Sunday as it bombarded the Gaza strip with airstrikes in retaliation for a major surprise attack by Hamas.The declaration came a day after an unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters who blew through a fortified border fence and gunned down civilians and soldiers in Israeli communities along the Gaza frontier during a major Jewish holiday. As many as 1,000 Hamas fighters took part, U.S. Secretary of State Andrew Blinken said. The rampage included an assault on a crowded music festival where authorities had removed about 260 bodies by Sunday. Israel struck back including with airstrikes that flattened a 14-story tower that held Hamas offices. At least 700 people were reported killed in Israel and more than 400 in Gaza.Here are some key takeaways as the fighting continues:WHAT DOES THE WAR DECLARATION MEAN?Israel has previously carried out major military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration.The ...